What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A 3.5 hour flight had taken place in the morning of 6/20/2017 with no issues observed. In the afternoon of 6/20/2017 the pilot, privacy data omitted, decided to take a local flight to check his fields since the weather was so nice. The aircraft was fueled up at the departure airport and a preflight was conducted prior to takeoff. The pilot performed a mag check and pre taxi runup was normal. During roll out on runway 35 the pilot noticed the engine was only making approx 2200 and he could not get it to produce any more power. privacy data omitted Decided to take off but the aircraft was barely producing enough lift, when he attempted maneuvers to return to the airport the aircraft stalled, and impacted the ground at a nearly vertical angle. On scene witnesses stated the aircraft was barely off the ground and slow. The pilot stated that "the air was heavy and just did not seem to be getting lift" the aircraft was destroyed and the pilot suffered serious injuries including broken ribs, both broken ankles, severed fingers, shattered elbow. He has had several surgeries stemming from these injuries. Inspection of the aircraft revealed that the carburator primer system had been disabled due to the installation of a different model carburator. The capped fuel line from the primer to the intake manifold had a very loose cap which would make for a leaner mixture. The dense humid air and the intake leak were contributing factors that strongly influenced the outcome of this flight.
As the FAA filed it
A 3.5 HOUR FLIGHT HAD TAKEN PLACE IN THE MORNING OF 6/20/2017 WITH NO ISSUES OBSERVED. IN THE AFTERNOON OF 6/20/2017 THE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, DECIDED TO TAKE A LOCAL FLIGHT TO CHECK HIS FIELDS SINCE THE WEATHER WAS SO NICE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED UP AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT AND A PREFLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. THE PILOT PERFORMED A MAG CHECK AND PRE TAXI RUNUP WAS NORMAL. DURING ROLL OUT ON RUNWAY 35 THE PILOT NOTICED THE ENGINE WAS ONLY MAKING APPROX 2200 AND HE COULD NOT GET IT TO PRODUCE ANY MORE POWER. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DECIDED TO TAKE OFF BUT THE AIRCRAFT WAS BARELY PRODUCING ENOUGH LIFT, WHEN HE ATTEMPTED MANEUVERS TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT THE AIRCRAFT STALLED, AND IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A NEARLY VERTICAL ANGLE. ON SCENE WITNESSES STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS BARELY OFF THE GROUND AND SLOW.THE PILOT STATED THAT "THE AIR WAS HEAVY AND JUST DID NOT SEEM TO BE GETTING LIFT" THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE PILOT SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES INCLUDING BROKEN RIBS, BOTH BROKEN ANKLES, SEVERED FINGERS, SHATTERED ELBOW. HE HAS HAD SEVERAL SURGERIES STEMMING FROM THESE INJURIES. INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT THE CARBURATOR PRIMER SYSTEM HAD BEEN DISABLED DUE TO THE INSTALLATION OF A DIFFERENT MODEL CARBURATOR. THE CAPPED FUEL LINE FROM THE PRIMER TO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD A VERY LOOSE CAP WHICH WOULD MAKE FOR A LEANER MIXTURE. THE DENSE HUMID AIR AND THE INTAKE LEAK WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS THAT STRONGLY INFLUENCED THE OUTCOME OF THIS FLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.